Redd Foxx

Original, gravel-voiced "dirty old man" comedian who, in the 1950s, was known to a limited audience for his x-rated standup material and under-the-counter recordings. Foxx became a household name, however, with his starring role as Fred G. Sanford (the name derived from his own real name), an irascible, scheming junkman, in the popular TV series "Sanford and Son" (1972-77). He went on to appear in the films "Cotton Comes to Harlem" (1970), "Norman... Is That You?" (1976) and "Harlem Nights" (1989), but died of a heart attack in 1991 after collapsing during a rehearsal of his TV comeback series, "The Royal Family".